1. Field of the Invention
This present invention is directed to biometrics, and more specifically, to electronic verification and identification of animals including canines and felines using biometrics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain mammal pets (most notably canines and felines) are known to have unique noses, similar in uniqueness to a human's fingerprint. In fact, since 1938, the Canadian Kennel Club has accepted nose prints to identify canines.
Previous designs provide methods and systems for electronically detecting, recording and comparing human fingerprints, but these designs are limited to identifying human fingerprint attributes and do not pertain to animals such as dogs and cats. Dog and cat nose prints, while unique, differ in form from human fingerprints, and devices that employ human fingerprint technology simply will not work with canine or feline nose prints. Fingerprint sensor elements typically work using capacitive, resistive or photonic means to measure a fingerprint and use particular techniques to identify ridges and other attributes exclusively associated with human fingerprints.
Lost pets, without identification, often suffer unnecessary extended loss or euthanasia. The ASPCA estimates that only 2% of lost felines are recovered (www.aspca.org). Further, the ASPCA estimates that only 15-20% of all lost dogs without identification return home. The ASPCA states that about 75% of shelter pets are eventually euthanized at the shelter, not having found their owners.
Further, pedigreed canines and felines are presently registered and monitored voluntarily. A pet is usually deemed a pedigree of a breed if its owner voluntarily registers the pet with the relevant club and the pet's primogenitors can be traced to the same pedigree. Without an efficient and accurate means of identifying an animal, certain pet pedigrees cannot be accurately determined or closely monitored.
There does not exist an apparatus, system or method for detecting, recording and comparing animal physical attributes, such as pet nose prints, in order to match an individual pet with certain information, including the contact information of the pet's owner or caretaker or the pet's pedigree information. A human fingerprint sensor cannot be used to measure the unique patterns on a canine's or feline's nose. Existing human fingerprint sensors and associated identification systems simply cannot be used to identify animals.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide a design that addresses the previous problems associated with animal and pet identification.